Limekiln



S. H. ROBINSON.

. Lime Kiln."

No. 12,242. Patented Jan. 16. 1855.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML'H. ROBINSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. v

LIMEKILN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,242, dated January 16, 1855.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL HANsoN R013 INSON, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kilns for Burning Lime; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part thereof, in which Figure 1, represents a perspective view of the kilns. Fig. 2, represents a central vertical section through the central kiln, and the side kilns B, B in place, and Fig. 3, represents similar sections through the side kilns B, B, detached from the central one.

Similar letters in the several figures denote like parts. H v

The nature of my invention relates to'the burning of lime in a central kiln, which receives its fire and heat, from other kilns surlime to drop down as it is burned, or let,

down entirely, so as to empty the kiln when found necessary. There is the usual pit b, at the bottom of the kiln A, and draw holes 0, through which the burned lime may be taken from the kiln, and it is furthermore provided with air holes or vents (i, (Z, (Z, for the admission of air to aid the combustion of the gases, and increase the draft. An opening 0, is also made near the top, or at any convenient height, in the kiln, for charging it with limestone. The kiln A, may be round, square or many sided, and built in any of the well known and improved forms, always however, having regard to the size or number of the other kilns surrounding it, from which it is to receive, and use, their waste heat only.

B, B, B, B, are four kilns (and may be more or less in number, without changing the character of the invention) surround-ing the central kiln A, said central kiln being common to all of them, and as it were a stack or chimney in appearance, through which all the waste heat and gases areto" pass. These side kilns may be constructed in various ways, some of which I shall describe. The one B, has a fire chamber f, and grate bars g,'for burning wood or coal, pre ferring the latter, the fuel being supplied thereto through the doors Behind the fire chamber 1'', is a chamber 2', into which the limestone is placed, resting upon hinged, iron, or other doors, j, which may be let down when the lime is burned, to empty the kiln-the lime falling into the chamber is, from which it may be removed through the draw hole. Z. This kiln is charged through openingsor manholes m in the top, and should have a damper or sliden, which can be opened or closed at pleasure for admitting air. products from this kiln, after passing through the limestone therein, ascend throughthe flue 0, and by means of the dampers p, p,

throu h either of the branch fiues g, g, as it may be desirable to burn lower down or. higher up in the stack. This is the general construction of the side kilnsthose B, B, B, varying from the one described, in their details only, and nothing in the general principle. In one (B) I use simply bars or rods, instead of hinged bottoms, in another (B,) a round instead of an oblong chamber for burning. In another (B) I represent an immovable curved bottom to the chamber, from which the lime may be drawn, instead of dropped. But as before stated these changes do not involve the principles of my invention, so long as I use the waste heat from the side kilns in burning the lime in the central one. These side kilns are made horizontal instead of vertical for convenience, inasmuch as if put up vertically it would require additional height to the central stock or kiln, as the products of combustion and waste heat cannot well be carried down to enter the central kiln below its charge of stone, and besides the raising up of the charges to the kilns when so high is laborious.

In my kiln it will be perceived that the fuel is not mixed with the charges of lime? stone, but is burned in a fire chamber, where 1t can be furnished at pleasure, and increased or dlmlnished in degree as may be found essential to the regular burning of the limestone in its chamber. The kilns are stone, so long as the independent kiln was burned by the waste heat, was a violation of my invention.

The relative proportions of the side, to the central kilns may be estimated as follows.

If the four side kilns are each capable of burning, say, one thousand bushels at a charge, then the central kiln may be made to also burn one thousand bushels, the waste heat from the sideikilns being sufficient for such a quantity,'and I thus make a clear saving of the burning of the fifth kiln.

It might be proper to state that, in appearance, it might be said that my arrangement represented a series of kilns or furnaces with a common stack or chimney/ Such however is not truly the case. The central kiln, is the stack or chimney through which the waste heat escapes, but it is made to all intents and purposes a kiln, independent of the surrounding ones in every thing except for its heat. And it is causing that waste or escaping heat, to exhaust itself in burning the central kiln that I claim as my invention. I am also aware that several fires have been arranged around a kiln, for burning at various points. This is not my invention. I

cause the series of surroundin kilns by their waste heat, to burn another kiln.

The Hues p p and g g, which rise out of the one 0 are divided both vertically and horizontally, so as to divide the heat and flame, and throw it into various parts of the central kiln A, to make uniformity in the burning of the lime stone therein.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, I would state that, I am aware that a series of kilns have been built in one stack, one placed over the other and burned from the same or separate fires, these I do not claim, but

What I do claim herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The so arranging of a series of side kilns, around a central kiln, as that the waste heat from the former, may be used for burning the limestone in the latter, substantially as herein described, whereby a great saving of fuel and labor is attained, a more regular disposition of the heat made available, and either of the surrounding kilns stopped ofl, cooled and drawn, without interfering in the least with the others of the series, as set forth.

S. HANSON ROBINSON. Witnesses:

A. M. PENINGTON, GEORGE H. DUTTON. 

